Misty Jazz Piano Lesson
Misty is one of the most popular jazz ballads and the distinctive melody is immediately recognisable amongst musicians. The tune is written in the key of Eb major and follows an A1 – A2 – B – A2 Form. The tonality is primarily major with some altered harmony sprinkled in here and there.
First Learn The Melody
Before diving into the chords of Misty it’s a good idea to get a solid grasp of the melody. Find a strong vocal recording of the tune and study how the melody is phrased.
The melodic range of Misty is 2 octaves with the lowest note being the F below middle C and the highest note being F an octave above middle C. This is a wide spread for the melody of a jazz standard and so your right hand will be kept busy when playing this tune!
Related Lessons
Block chords are used for harmonising a melody line by moving the notes of the chord in parallel, following the same rhythm as the melody.
We explore various ways to add harmonic interest over dominant chords using tritones. We use the tunes ‘Body and Soul’ and ‘Misty’.
In a minor 251, the 5 chord will be an altered dominant chord. In this lesson we apply altered dominant chords to the major 251 progression.
Practice Tips
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This tune can also be played with a left hand stride style, check out the practice exercises in this course for more information.
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Take a listen to Erroll Garner's version of this tune. This is the definitive recording of Misty.
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Check out this lesson where we explore the Sus13 chords to 13#11 tritone subs. of Misty.
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Start with the basic R-3-7 voicings and then experiment with the different extensions. Stop on each chord and identify/visualise the extensions 9/11/13.
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You may need to run up and down the scales to help you visualise the upper extensions. Try adding in 9s and 13s over dominant chords, 9s and 11s on minor chords, and 9s and 13s on major chords.
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It’s through this process of exploration and discovery that we get a better understanding of how harmony works.
Will you ever make these lessons available on midi format?
Hi Adam, yes sure I have midi files for 13 of the jazz standards. I’ll email them over to you now. I’ll also add them to the Transcription Page in the Pro Member Area: http://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-standard-transcriptions/ Cheers, Hayden
Would you consider doing a Misty tutorial in the style of Erroll Garner? Just a thought that crossed my mind.
Hi Adam,
Yes I think that’s a great idea. It would also be nice to revisit the tune with a stride style. Leave that with me.
A “Misty Part 2” tutorial has been in the pipeline for a while now!
Cheers, Hayden
Can’t wait but I guess I will have to. LOL. Thanks in advance for your hard work.
Hello Hayden: my first question about practicing: should I practice one hand at the time (especially bars 7 and beyond in Misty) or should I make an effort to use both hands even from the beginning? What is a more effective approach, speaking generally? Thanks, Ivan
Hey Ivan,
Yes bars 7 and 8 in the transcription are quite challenging… there’s three things going on there: sus chords, tritone substitution, and also altered dominant chords.
The most important thing is that you are analysing the scale degrees of the notes in relation to the underlying harmony. Try to make an effort to consciously analyse each note to identify the primary chord tones, extensions, and alterations if applicable.
You will find this very difficult to begin with, particularly with those altered dominant chords so don’t get too hung up on it. Just copy the notes, even if right now the theory doesn’t make sense, the full understanding will come with time.
When playing ‘spread voicings’ – where the notes of the chord are spaced out 2 octaves or more – you will likely find the voicings sound ‘incomplete’ with just half of the notes and so my recommendation would be to practice very slowly but hands together.
As you progress through the course you will become more comfortable playing hands together.
Hope this helps 🙂
Hayden
It does help, now I understand better the basic approach and playing both hands certainly makes the chords sound so much better. ‘Slowly, slowly, catchy monkey’, right? Thank you. Ivan
Awesome! Yes that’s right Ivan… if you can’t play it slowly and accurately, then you can’t play it fast and accurately… that’s the rule I have always followed 🙂
Cheers, Hayden
Hey Hayden, at 7.35 you describe a Eb6. Isn‘t the 6th the same as the 13th? Why do you use the unusual even number in that Notation? Best, Claudio
Hi Claudio 👋
Good question!
An important rule you need to understand:
If the 7th is not present in the chord, then it’s always the 6th.
If the 7th is present in the chord, then it’s always the 13th.
We name chords by their highest extension:
If you see Eb13, it means that you should have the b7 in the chord, and the 13th is the highest extension.
However, Eb6 means that the 7th should not be in the chord, and so in that case the 13 becomes the 6.
You will also see Eb69, which contains the 6 and 9, but no 7th.
Does that make sense?
Confusing I know!… If you’d like me to elaborate, I’m happy to explain further.
Cheers, Hayden
Great Hayden, thank you for the quick reply and good explanation. Just to get sure another (slightly academic) question in this regard: So, if I have a triad and just the 9th as a extension (without the 7th), does it mean, I call it e.g. Eb2? Am I right, if I say that this is not true, since the 2th is the highest extension though, but the “normal” triad contains a 5th which is higher? But in this case: How I would name a 9th chord which contains no 7th? Aha, would this would be Eb59?
Hi Claudio… another good question!
In that case, the chord would be called Ebadd9. This means an Eb Major triad with the 9th added in. The 9th adds some texture to the chord which can be a nice effect.
When neither the 6th or 7th is present but the 9 is, effectively you have a major triad with the 9th. so we always say ‘add9’.
There are a few jazz standards where we have used this voicing, but it is not as common as the other voicings that we cover in detail in the PianoGroove course.
‘Eb59’ doesn’t exist, it would always be ‘Ebadd9’, but remember that Eb69 is a much more common voicing… certainly one that you should familiarise yourself with…
Try playing Eb and Bb low down in the left hand (root and 5) and then play G-C-F in the right hand (3-6-9) – this is nice because we have a stack of 4ths in the right hand which creates a lovely texture. I use this voicing a lot so you will come across it throughout the PianoGroove course.
Remember that this ‘formula’ will work in any key… LH: root and 5th. RH: 3-6-9. Always think in terms of scale degrees so you have the ‘blueprint’ to apply the voicing to all 12 keys.
You could use this voicing as the I chord in a II-V-I. For example, a II-V-I in Eb Major, try playing F-9, Bb13, and then Eb6/9.
I hope this helps… any further questions let me know.
Cheers, Hayden
Hi Hayden, thank you for this great transcription, very helpful ! In bar 2, the A7 (#9, #5 ) chord, I can see the #9, C, but not the #5 which would be F natural, is that correct ?
Hi Natasha,
Awesome… glad to hear the transcription is useful!
Good question! Yes you are correct… F would be the #5. It’s great to see that you are analysing the harmony numerically 😊
Something to be aware of Natasha: when you see “#5#9” , “b9” , “#9” , “#5” or “alt” in a chord symbol, you have the creative freedom to choose which alterations you include or exclude. Try the ones specified first, but there is always room to experiment with different combinations.
The presence of any of these alterations in a chord symbol, implies the altered mode. You can find an in-depth study here: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/altered-scale-improv/
If it’s an altered V7 chord, which in this case it most certainly is (because the #5 is in the melody) then you can pick and choose between single alteration, double alteration, or perhaps an upper structure triad.
In this specific case, I liked the sound without the #5 in there. It sounded a little too rich for me, and the #9 on the top gave the chord enough colour in my opinion. But, that’s just my opinion…
A nice exercise would be to add the #5 (F) into the voicing, play it a few times and really listen to how it sounds. Then take the #5 out of the voicing and again play a few times. Try to build an aural appreciation of the difference in sound so that you can decide when you want that #5 colour in there.
Remember that the formula for that altered voicing will work in any key:
Left hand: Root and b7 Right hand: 3, b7 and #9 (or 3, #5, b7 & #9)
Obviously the pitch will be different, but the colour and texture of the chord will be the same and so having an aural awareness of the sounds of different alterations will help you pick and choose your chord voicings more wisely.
Always experiment Natasha… I’ve stumbled across some great sounds just by thinking “what if I added…” or “what if I omitted….” etc…
Hope this helps 🙂
Cheers, Hayden
Thanks Hayden 🙂
That Erroll Garner version!!!!! Holy Smokes!!!!!!
Hi Hayden, can you please explain the progression of chords you play starting with the G7 chord at :34 which looks to be the 1 – b7 – 9 – 11 – 13 – 1. You end the tutorial with just the Eb6 chord which sounds a bit plain after listening to these nice chords at the start 🙂
Hi Brian,
Thank you!
Hayden, These 13sus dominant chord, as you have them voiced, have R-b7-4-13, but no 3rd. I played them with the 3rd, but it sounds bad with the 4th. Is that why you omitted the 3rd?
Hi Dave,
Hi Hayden,
Hi Nolan, thanks for getting in touch.
Good Morning Hayden.I m already playing this tune perfectly.What lessons should i take if i want to improvise on it or play it with a Singer?Thanks
Hi Ivan,
Thanks!
How would you harmonically explain the progression in the second line of the bridge? First line we get a 251 of the IV, but then we get a 2-5 that doesn’t resolve and instead goes into a classic V/V – V – I. Why does this work? How should I think of this in terms of what scale to play over it?
Hi Milan!
In think second bar the Eb13(b9), you play it with the 1,3,13 and dominant 7 but you don’t ever include the b9 which should be an E, why?
Hi James,
Hello…i am trying this Jazz Lessons that i found sooo usefull and soon i will participate so
i Decided to buy the New Real Book …so i need your Help for 3 Questions
1- when i browsed the List of tunes in this book i did nt understand the last paragraph in the index which i marked it with Red Rectangle
2- The New Real Book does NOT cover all tunes in the Lessons for example(So What tune)
3- what is the different between this book and the traditional RealBook ??
Thaanks
Hi Ahmad,
Hi Hayden
thanks for your help … i am fully enjoying this really excellent lessons
what i ment by the red rectangle is the publisher says in the index that not all copies may contain some tunes (like misty tune) ,this depends on country .. thats why i marked the tunes that r not written in the new real book
i dont understand
secondly ,,in the lessons the teacher illustrated the (so what tune) and this was not found in the new real book
thats why i asked b4 purchasing a copy
thanks in advance
Hi Ahmad,
Hello Hayden,
I was wondering, what you teach us is a arrangment for solo piano, but if we want to play the standards with other people, how and where can we learn to play all these standards.
My second question is if i want to be able to say that i know a standard, should i memorize all the chords progressions in it, maybe to be able to improvise on it afterward
You are being really helpful in your answers,
Guillaume
Hi Guillaume 👋
Hi Hayden,
Hi Ariel 👋
Hi Hayden,
Hi Ariel 👋
I started working on actual tunes after drilling a lot of chords. I did a note for note (well almost I’m sure) transcription of the arrangement you go through in the video. I am picking out the voicings/harmonizations I wouldn’t have thought of or have trouble with and practice them on their own. The provided transcription is a bit too complicated (with the substitutions, etc…), but the video version is just perfect.
Here are the drills I currently have in my rotation.
What are the seven little vertical bars at the bottom of your videos? Probably something obvious! Thanks,
Hi Guy,
Hi Hayden,
Can I just check why is there Db in Eb13b9?
Hello Hayden I have the real book as shown in your lesson (and recommended as part of the resources). However, Misty is not included as in the index of the book it states standards supplement USA only and Misty is one of the standards with an next to it. Is it possible to just get Misty in its own or is there any other version you recommend? I’m thinking when I’m able to actually play your arrangements competently, what would you suggest to help improvement? Thanks – enjoying the lesson – my third standard (beginner) Donna
Hi Donna 👋🏻
Yes I will send you my recommended versions via email shortly.
Lead sheets are a great tool when starting out with jazz piano and very useful to help build a repertoire.
I would suggest the following for improvement:
Once we have learnt an arrangement, we should try to memorise the form and the chord changes.
Misty follows an AABA Form and so almost 75% of the tune follows the exact same chord changes. Understanding this makes the process of memorisation much easier.
I discussed this in length in my recent Live Seminar, check it out here: https://www.pianogroove.com/live-seminars/arranging-jazz-standards/
Also check out this lesson: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/common-jazz-forms/
The next step is to start to tweak the arrangement, add your own touches, and make it your own. We do this by listening and transcribing.
I like to make a playlist on YouTube or Spotify of all the versions of a song that I like, I explain more here in the forum:
also check out this thread:
I then work out little thing from each. It might be the way the melody is played, it might be a little fill or run or chord substitution.
We are playing these tunes for all of our lives and so we should be always adding to and enhancing our arrangements.
Any other questions let me know and look out for my email shortly.
Cheers, Hayden
Thank you Hayden – very helpful. Thanks also for the prompt reply, it looks like awful weather this weekend so Misty will be getting a lot of my time 😁 Thanks again Donna
Hello Hayden — do you have a transcript of the version of Misty that you demonstrate/play during the second half of the video for this lesson? The “Misty Transcript” pdf download arrangement is different.
Hayden, I have been playing measures 7 and 8 over and over because it is so beautiful!
In the real book those two measures are G-7 to C7flat9 then F-7 to Bflat7 which to me is 2-5 for F and 2-5 for E flat respectively.
I would have never thought to substitute it this way. So is the sus the sub for the minor 7 in the real book (like your G13sus for G-7 ) with the tritone serving only as a passing chord or is the tritone the sub for the G chord and the Sus is really a sub for ANOTHER minor 7 like Dm7 (implied minor chord)?
So I am thinking that the G13sus4 to Dflat13 #11 (measure 7 first two beats) is really a sub for Dm7 to G7 i.e. a 2-5 in C.
Is that right? The reason I am obsessed with those two measure is I want to apply it to other songs because the sound is so awesome!! Best! Vince
One thing I would like to see is a step-by-step process of adding a very simple improvisation to a jazz standard. For example …. First just chord tones …. then, perhaps pentatonic scale …. then, include major scale …. etc. I never see that any place. Of course, the difficulty that arises is usually handling the left-hand chording during this improv. But it would be very helpful to see someone actually doing it instead of just alluding to it in other lessons on improv.